When friends and family have casual discussions about wills, they often think about a last will and testament. Although this estate planning tool helps honor your asset distribution’s directives and your final wishes, there is another type of will that you can use while you are still alive.
What is a living will?
A living will is a legal document that holds your advance medical directives and end-of-life care decisions. It includes specific instructions about your future medical treatments, pain management and/or organ donation. When you have a living will, you empower yourself to be taken care of with dignity by your healthcare providers, caregivers and family members.
Here are four essential benefits of having a valid living will:
It can be used by both young and old people
Advance medical directives should not just be for middle-aged adults and the elderly, but for young adults too. In Illinois, any adult aged 18 years and above can make a living will, so long as they are of sound mind and reside in the state.
When you have a living will, you can plan for unexpected accidents or terminal illnesses, which can happen at any point in your life.
It can be updated at any time
Just like a last will and testament, a living will can be revised by its owner at any given time. This is especially important when you change your mind over your original medical directives, add a new treatment preference or move to a different state.
However, it is important to keep in mind that your living will can only be utilized if you become permanently unconscious or reach your end-of-life care.
It can be used when you become mentally incapacitated
Your living will can speak on your behalf when you become mentally incapacitated. Since your legal document fully outlines your medical directives and other medical-related decisions, your healthcare providers can learn about your personal choices and honor them accordingly.
It can specify how long you can be kept on life support
If you have had the opportunity to witness any of your loved ones reach the end of their lives, then you must know how heart crushing it was for their spouse, siblings or children to make the final decisions on their behalf. As someone who is still of sound mind, wouldn’t you want to spare your family from suffering the same way?
When you have a living will, you can include specific directives on artificial life support systems (e.g., mechanical ventilator, artificial feeding tube, dialysis), including how long you can be kept alive on them or if you do not wish to be put on them.
You have full control over your end-of-life care
When you have a living will, you can plan for your future healthcare decisions with integrity and grace. This not only helps give you peace of mind but spares your family with the emotional toll that comes from making life-or-death decisions for you.
